The present invention relates generally to a combination clutch/brake unit of the type described in applicant's U.S. Pat. No. 3,696,898, issued Oct. 10, 1972, and more particularly, to a system of modular accessories for a clutch/brake unit.
Oil submerged clutch/brake units have filled a substantial need in the industry and having improved the wear characteristics and lessened the down time of clutch/brake units in industrial applications. These self-contained, oil submerged clutches and brakes, however, have been inhibited in that any accessories had to be coupled via the input or output shafts to limit the usefulness of the clutch/brake unit to solely one function at a time until the accessory was removed from the shaft and replaced on the same shaft by another accessory. Furthermore, expensive reversing motors and inching motors have been needed to provide reversing or inching functions, which motors had to be shifted around as the function of the units changes, and, in addition, each had to be coupled by means of a shaft to shaft coupling to the clutch/brake unit.
With the present invention, a unidirectional drive motor is the only accessory that need be directly mounted to the input shaft, which is a much less expensive option than a reversible drive motor. Modular accessories may be attached to the housing of the clutch/brake unit and integrated into the unit either externally or by an extension of the housing to utilize not only the oil cooling capability of the unit but also to integrate the operation so that a great efficiency may result. Furtheremore, the accessories are mountable at stations which may be sealed and capped when not in use so that notching inhibits any of the basic functions of the clutch/brake unit as it presently exists.
Thus, one object of the present invention is to provide a system of modular attachments for a clutch/brake unit which act as integrated accessories to modify and increase the capabilities of the clutch/brake unit without inhibiting the basic capability of the unit. The stations of the system represent mounting locations which may have access into the oil submerged area of the clutch/brake unit.
Further objects of the present invention are to provide a new and improved clutch/brake unit of the character described which is simple and compact in design, economical to produce and operate, extremely rugged in maintenance-free during operation, and still have input and output shafts that are readily adaptable for direct mounting thereon of any type of machine member such as fly wheels, gears, sheaves, couplings, sprockets, etc.
Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.